


Hearts A Mess

by Skyson



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Angst, Do They Even Know How To Do Platonic?, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Humor, In Which The Team Is Totally In On It, New SHIELD, SHIELD 2.0, The Playground, another tale where Coulson just needs to stop second guessing himself
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-17
Updated: 2014-08-22
Packaged: 2018-02-09 07:46:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1974687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skyson/pseuds/Skyson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The team works on rebuilding SHIELD, making the Playground a proper base, and settling in changed relationships. The title is from the Gotye song which inspired this fic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

* * *

 

**Pick apart / The pieces of your heart / And let me peer inside / Let me in / Where only your thoughts have been / Let me occupy your mind / As you do mine**

 

There seemed to be a never ending list of things to do at the Playground. Clean up, organization, repairing the Bus, going through all the files from Cybertek, more organization, making plans…

Skye was restless.

She’d just started feeling like she was really becoming an integral part of the team, especially during that attack against Garrett and HYDRA. Her skin itched just remembering the adrenalin rush and all the emotions that had been coursing through her during the mission.

She hardly remembered that girl she used to be; living in the back of a van and making radio broadcasts.

That wasn’t revolution. _This_ was revolution.

“ _This_ is crap,” Skye muttered to herself, sitting cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by various stacks of files. Simmons sent her an apologetic, understanding smile from across the room.

They had moved all the filing cabinets into an empty storage room and it had been dubbed primarily Skye and Simmons’ job to go through everything, organize it, and determine any relevant information that could help them continue to go after HYDRA. Others would help every now and then, mostly Coulson, but he never showed up while they were in here. Usually Skye would come back the next day to discover changed piles and a handwritten scrawl from Coulson explaining what he’d gotten done.

That was another thing.

She hardly ever saw Coulson anymore. No one else seemed bothered by his absence, so Skye never brought it up, but it was something that was in the back of her mind every day. And sometimes in the forefront.

She knew that he had a lot more on his plate now that he’d been made Director of New-SHIELD (he insisted on continuing to keep it just ‘SHIELD’, but Skye felt the need to differentiate), but he hardly ever made it to meal times. She knew that he kept late hours, too, because she did as well, and sometimes she would catch glimpses of him in the hallways. He never stopped to chat, though. She wondered if he ever even noticed that she was awake as well.

She hardly ever slept anymore. It wasn’t that she couldn’t, it was just… she didn’t have to. She wasn’t tired. Without much else to do – especially since the rest of the team was usually asleep – she usually ended up in the filing room again.

She spent _a lot_ of time in the filing room.

How she had yet to run into Coulson in here was anyone’s guess.

“Can you hand me that one to your left? I think I remember seeing something in there that might actually be pertinent to this pile…” Simmons spoke up, and Skye pulled herself back into focus and handed Simmons the requested file.

She and Simmons had an interesting camaraderie since arriving to the Playground. When Simmons wasn’t in the lab or in medical, she was with Skye, helping her out with files. Skye knew that she was constantly worried about Fitz, even though he was on the road to recovery. Simmons seemed… different, without him. Like a piece of her was missing.

 _Though, there_ is _a reason we refer to them as one unit. FitzSimmons._

Skye realizes she misses saying that. FitzSimmons.

She misses “AC”, too.

Skye knew that Simmons was blaming herself for Fitz’s condition, so she tried to always be a pleasant distraction for her friend. She never spoke of her own worries, and focused fully on Simmons. They had a cup of tea together every evening after dinner, and sometimes they would play a board game or a game of cards. Simmons was much more quiet than she used to be, though she tried to keep a positive face most of the time. Skye could see, however, the toll it was taking on her, and supported her without calling attention to it.

“Skye,” Simmons spoke up, and Skye knew by the tone of her voice that she wasn’t going to ask about another file.

“Yes?” Skye asked, looking up from the open folder in her lap. Simmons was giving her a soft look… almost one of pity?

“You never talk about yourself.” Simmons said softly, and Skye blinked and looked off to the side.

“Nothing much going on with me,” Skye let out a short, dry, laugh. “Anyway, you’ve got a lot on your shoulders already. You don’t need to hear about my problems. They’re inconsequential, anyhow.” Skye shrugged as if it was no big deal, and Simmons’ brow furrowed.

“You’re restless,” Simmons pointed out, “It’s quite obvious to tell. Why don’t you talk to Director Coulson about it? See if he will put you on a job a little more interesting than this.” Simmons gestured around them, and Skye shook her head immediately.

“This is perfectly fine. And it needs done. Besides, I don’t want to leave you here alone to it.” Skye shrugged. “And anyway, I still have my morning Tai Chi lessons with May, and I’m in the gym every other morning after that.”

“Perhaps the shooting range? I know that Agent Triplett will go there to relieve pent up stress.” Simmons was back to using his full name now – Skye figured she didn’t fancy him as much as she used to.

“I… uh…” Skye bit her lip. “No.” She eventually said.

She didn’t want anyone to know about how she suddenly lost all ability to shoot a gun. She could hardly hold one in her hand anymore, without having a panic attack.

“Have you spoken to Director Coulson about your restlessness?” Simmons wondered, and Skye scoffed under her breath.

“You know I haven’t. Hardly _anyone_ has spoken to him about _anything_ , lately.”

Simmons was nodding, a look of understanding on her face.

“You worry about him.” She said, and Skye looked at her with slight alarm.

“Well – yes, of course I do, I mean – we hardly ever see him. Does he even eat? Does he do _anything_ other than work? I don’t even think he sleeps,” Skye rambled, wondering why she sounded defensive.

“We all worry about him, Skye,” Simmons interrupted her gently, giving her a small smile. Skye stopped, staring at her.

“Why doesn’t someone talk to him?” She asked, the file in her lap completely forgotten. Simmons gave her a look.

“We’ve all been waiting for _you_ to.”

“ _Me_?”

“Skye, _you’re_ the only one he’s ever had personal conversations with. You’re the one he listens to.” Simmons said, as if it were obvious. Skye raised her eyebrow.

“ _He’s_ the boss; I don’t _tell_ him to do things…”

“He values your opinion,”

“He values the _team’s_ opinion,” Skye corrected.

“He _seeks_ _your_ opinion, Skye.” Simmons lifted her hands up in an ‘obviously’ gesture. Both of Skye’s eyebrows shot up.

“I…” She wasn’t sure how to argue against that, and Simmons stood and walked over to her, picking the file up off of her lap and offering a hand to help her stand.

“It’s almost lunch time. May made sandwiches, I think; take one to him. Make sure he eats something.” Simmons spoke in her soft ‘doctor’ voice, as Skye straightened her dress.

“Okay…” She sighed, suddenly nervous. Simmons smiled – that was rare, and Skye was surprised – and led the way toward the kitchen/dining area.

 _If everyone else is just as worried as I am, why haven’t they said anything before? They were waiting on_ me _to do something? Does that include even May? Usually she is the one to smack Coulson back into shape._

Skye checked the board posted on the wall next to the kitchen door; it was a list of weekly meal duties. Simmons was in charge of dinner tonight, which made Skye smile. She always made something delicious and related to Italian.

May was finishing up putting together the hoagie sandwiches; sparing the two only a glance when they entered.

“Need help with anything?” Skye asked, trying to bide her time. Simmons spoke before May could, however.

“Is there one for Director Coulson? Skye is going to take his to him.” Simmons spoke almost as if it were an order, and May had a hidden look of amusement as she handed Skye a tray that had two of everything – sandwiches, chips, apples, and bottles of water. Skye took it, slightly overwhelmed.

“His is the sandwich on the left. It’s his favourite.” May said, turning back toward the counter and finishing up her preparations. Skye stood there silently for a moment, tray in her hands. Simmons put a hand on her shoulder and turned her back toward the door.

“Well, go on then.” Simmons gave her a slight nudge, another smile, and Skye shuffled her way out, wondering if the team had been planning this.

\-----

It felt like one of the longest walks she’d ever taken as she headed down the halls toward Coulson’s office. She’d only been inside once before, not long after they had first arrived. She felt even more nervous than that time she’d spoken to him about how he valued old things.

She had no idea what to expect. So much had changed.

The door was closed when she approached it; the name plate next to it looking just like all the others, except for the tag inside saying “Director Phillip J. Coulson”. She bit her lip, shifting her weight.

“Get it over with, Skye,” She muttered to herself, and she knocked lightly on the door.

“Come in,” His response was immediate, and she realized just how long it had been since she’d even heard his voice. She held the tray in one hand and opened the door carefully with the other, taking only a step into the room.

He was sitting behind his desk; it was one of those fancy touch-screen computer desks. Other than that, though… the room looked almost just like his office in the plane. Knick-knacks were in the corners of the desk, old models and gadgets on the bookshelves. The picture in the hologram window was of a bright blue sky with billowing white clouds.

He looked up when she entered, and his face visibly relaxed and he smiled, leaning back in his chair.

“Skye,” He sounded relieved, “Come on in.” He gestured toward the chair across from the desk. “Is that for me?” He asked as she stepped further into the room. He stood as she neared the desk, and walked around to the front of it, taking the tray from her and setting it on his desk. Whatever it was he’d been working on, he efficiently covered it up without bringing attention to it. He walked over to shut the door and then approached Skye again, choosing to sit in the chair next to her instead of his chair.

“May put it together,” Skye said, looking at his shoes. _Why is this so weird?_ “The one on the left is yours.”

“Thank you,” Coulson said, glancing at the tray before focusing back on her. He frowned, wondering why she appeared so timid and nervous. “Is everything alright? How is the filing room coming along? I’m sorry it’s not as easy as working with digital files; but it’s all we’ve got right now.” Skye shook her head, finally looking up at him.

“That’s not a problem at all,” She said hurriedly, “that’s fine.” She paused for a moment, and he waited. She sighed. “We’re worried about you, sir.” She finally said, looking him in the eye.

“I’m sorry I’ve not been with the team much, lately,” He looked and sounded ashamed, “It’s been…” He sighed, leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes, opening up for the first time in a long while, “it’s been difficult trying to figure out where to start.” He admitted, and Skye furrowed her brow.

“Start small. Start with what you know.” She said, and he opened his eyes but kept his gaze to the ceiling.

“But we know so little,” He said quietly, and Skye leaned forward toward him. Suddenly it was like none of the weirdness of the past month or so had even happened.

“Start here,” She said pointedly, and he lifted his head up to look at her, seeing the determination in her eyes. “Start with the Playground. Get this place organized and functional. Then, see what we’ve got as far as those HYDRA files. Then, follow the leads. One at a time.”

He blinked at her, taking her in. He’s missed her. He’s missed her vibrancy, her insistence, her…

“Would you like to be my second in command?” Coulson asked, and Skye stared at him like he’d grown three heads. “I’m overwhelmed here, Skye,” Coulson sighed, leaning forward, putting them closer together, “I’m thinking too much about the broad picture, about all the problems, about all that I have to do. You can help me keep focused.” He smiled at her softly. “You always have kept me grounded, Skye.”

She continued giving him that look, and nervousness flashed across his face.

“Sir, I… I don’t know what to say.” Skye finally said, still giving him that look, but sounding a little embarrassed. He shrugged, leaning back and picking up his sandwich, unwrapping it.

“Say yes,” He ordered her softly, his eyes smiling as he noticed that the sandwich was one of his favourites. “Mm, tuna salad,” He said before taking a bite. That _‘have you gone mad’_ look on Skye’s face returned full force.

“Sir…” She sounded worried, and he glanced up at her.

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard you call me “sir” so much in one day, much less one conversation.” He said wryly, and she gestured vaguely around her as she reached for her own sandwich.

“Well, what else am I supposed to call you?” She sounded frustrated, and she pulled open her sandwich wrapper a little violently.

“AC is nice.” He said a little quieter, and she gave him a look.

“AC doesn’t exactly fit anymore.” She reminded him.

“I miss AC.” He said even quieter, so much so that she almost missed it. She looked at him sharply, staring for a moment before allowing a slow smile to cross her face.

“I miss AC, too.” She admitted, and when he looked her in the eyes, he knew she meant more than just the name. He gave her a small smile too; that quirk of the lips that always made her think he was up to something.

They ate in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Skye sighed, took a drink of water, and asked,

“What would I be doing, as your second in command?”

“Mostly, helping me out in the way that you just have. I can put you in charge of some projects, too, if you’d like.” Coulson explained, balling up his empty sandwich wrapper and tossing it onto the tray. He admired the mischievous look on Skye’s face, even though it worried him.

“Would I be able to order May around?” She asked cheekily, and he reached for his bag of chips.

“Is anyone ever really _able_ to order May around?” Coulson teased, earning a chuckle from her. He grinned, and Skye relaxed completely into her chair, pulling her feet up and tucking them into the side as she ate the rest of her sandwich.

“Only if it means making sure you’re eating, sleeping, and having a healthy amount of human interaction… sure.” Skye said with an ‘I suppose’ sigh, and his grin widened.

“Perfect.” He said, and they smiled at one another.

* * *

 


	2. Chapter 2

* * *

 

**I can’t concentrate / While you’re messing with my brain / I can’t think straight / Make me want to misbehave / I don’t know what I’m doing / But I know where this is going**

 

Skye was now divvying up her time between workouts, filing with Simmons, and organizing with Coulson. Her days usually followed the same schedule; get up, workout, breakfast, second in command stuff, lunch, filing, dinner, tea with Simmons, more second in command stuff. She and Coulson had found out pretty quickly about each other’s not-so-decent sleeping habits.

“It’s getting pretty late. You should get to bed.” Coulson was at his desk, and Skye was in what was now considered “her chair”, sitting sideways with her feet hanging off the arm, her tablet balanced against her knees.

“What about you?” She said, not budging. “I know that you still stay up working after you’ve sent me off. You need sleep, too.”

“I’m not tired,” He shrugged. “I don’t sleep very long anymore.” He spoke as if wasn’t too big of a deal, and she frowned at him over the top of her tablet.

“Is it dreams?” She asked carefully, knowing that out of all of them, he had the most reasons to deal with nightmares. He shook his head, shrugging again.

“I just don’t sleep very long. Only four or five hours a night.” He told her, looking up at her. He forced his gaze to stay on her face, with her bare legs right there in front of him. He always found that he was a little more distracted on the days that she wore dresses, but he didn’t want to order her to stop wearing them. He didn’t want to call attention to it, otherwise she would know that he’d been looking.

“Really?” Skye seemed surprised, but no longer because of his own health. “Do you think…” She trailed off, swinging her legs off the arm and turning the chair to face him. “Do you think it could be the serum?” She asked quietly. Coulson raised his eyebrow.

“What makes you say that?” He asked carefully, and she bit her lip.

“That’s been about my sleeping patterns lately, as well.” She admitted to him, and his other eyebrow rose to join the first.

“When did it start?” He asked, and she shrugged.

“Well, we’ve been kind of busy and holding odd hours lately,” She said wryly, “But I noticed it not long after we moved in here.” Coulson nodded thoughtfully.

“Well… I suppose since we’re both going to be up anyway… just leave when you need to, okay?” He told her, and she nodded, looking a bit relieved. He focused back onto the screen on his desk and furrowed his brow. _Was she relieved that I allowed her to stay a little longer?_ He admitted that it did please him when they would sit together in these comfortable silences, and he was always a little disappointed at the end of the day when she had to leave.

_She’s my protégé. I’m just fond of her, that’s all._

Another half hour passed in comfortable silence, and Skye found herself returned to her previous position, where she could glance at Coulson over the screen of her tablet. It had been about a month since they first decided on this ‘arrangement’ of sorts, and he had loosened up around her a little bit. He had taken off his tie after returning from dinner, and now sat there with the top two buttons open on his collar. It wasn’t really that much of a change, but Skye kept finding herself staring at that patch of skin. It wasn’t even like this was the first time she’d seen him dressed down in any way, but it was possibly the most time she had with the ability to just look at him.

_It’s just a sign that he’s relaxing, being less Director and more AC again. That’s all._ Why was she so freaking fascinated by his neck? _Maybe I’m a vampire._ Skye inwardly laughed.

“How is the filing room? I haven’t been in there in a few days.” Coulson interrupted her thoughts, and she jerked her eyes back down to her tablet, hoping he hadn’t caught her staring.

“Um, it’s fine. Almost done, I think. Simmons and I have marked the places where we found things that might be pertinent. I figure once we get that room put together and set up, we can pull them out and look over them in detail.” She said, and he smiled.

“Perfect.” He said, looking back to his desk. She glanced up at him, realized he wasn’t going to say anything else, and paid closer attention to the contours of his face. He didn’t seem as tired as he had in the past, but the lines at the corners of his eyes held a perpetual weight, and it was different than the “HYDRA-frown” he would get. It seemed like something more personal than that.

She watched as his brows furrowed slightly as he read over something. She loved his face and all of its character.

Coulson looked up quickly when Skye started coughing violently, her face a little red.

“Are you choking on something?” He asked, leaning forward, brow furrowed with worry. She shook her head quickly, waving her hand at him to keep him from moving toward her.

“Fine,” She said between coughs, which eventually dissipated. He waited a beat to make sure she was alright, and then stood to move toward a small refrigerator he had in the corner of the office.

“Here,” He said, handing her a bottle of water, and she accepted it gratefully. Her fingers brushed against his as she took it from him, and he clenched his fist to his side as if he had to hide the resulting tingling feeling from her.

“What was all that about?” He asked her as he sat back down, his tone slightly teasing. Skye shrugged, her tablet pulled close to her and her eyes focused on it. Her face was still a little red. He raised his eyebrow slightly, decided to drop it, and only stared at her legs for a moment before returning his gaze to the desktop.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some parts are inspired by lyrics from "Hearts A Mess", other parts inspired by Chloe Wang's (Bennet's) "Uh Oh". The lyrics are posted in bold at the beginning of each chapter where they are relevant.


	3. Chapter 3

* * *

 

**Your heart’s a mess / You won’t admit to it / It makes no sense / But I’m desperate to connect / You can’t live like this**

 

Skye and Simmons were working on one of the last filing cabinets that was left, and the room was much cleaner and more spacious than it had been. Simmons had been asking a lot about how things were going with her other duties, and her meetings with Coulson, and Skye always managed to keep her answers simple. However, she was getting more and more confused about what her brain was doing and what she was feeling during those meetings, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to hide that from her friend.

“Skye…?” Simmons sounded slightly worried, and Skye groaned, slapping the file shut and dropping her head into her hands.

“I don’t know what’s happening with me!” Skye wailed, and Simmons moved toward her with concern.

“What’s wrong? Are you experiencing strange symptoms?” Simmons asked quickly, putting her hand on Skye’s shoulder.

“No, it’s nothing like that,” Skye said into her hands.

“Is it GH325?” Simmons continued, a little more calm.

“No, it’s _Coulson_ ,” Skye groaned, clenching her fingers through her hair. Simmons froze, raised her eyebrow high, and swallowed.

“Director Coulson?” She stumbled over the question, confused. Skye nodded silently, keeping her head down, and Simmons opened her mouth in a silent ‘ah’. She sat cross-legged in front of Skye, pulling her hands into her own, forcing Skye to uncover her face.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” Skye was not quite wailing anymore, but she sounded incredibly anguished, “I can’t stop thinking about him!” Simmons stared at her, speaking carefully,

“Agent Coulson?” She clarified again, and Skye nodded, biting her lip. “As in…” Simmons frowned a little, not wanting to put specific words to it. She didn’t want to associate those things together. Not that Coulson was all that bad looking, but… Simmons shook her head, giving Skye a careful, concerned look.

“Nothing like… nothing like _that_ ,” Skye insisted, blushing lightly. “But… just… I don’t know; we’re in there working together all the time and I just keep staring at him and when I’m not in there I’m thinking about when I will be and I wonder if he’s getting any sleep at night and I wonder what he does with his free time or if he even _has_ any free time – ”

“Skye!” Simmons interrupted her, and Skye clamped her lips closed, staring at her with wide eyes. “It’s okay, Skye,” Simmons said softly with a small smile, “It’s nothing unheard of. You’re spending a lot of time together, even more than you have in the past. He’s made you his second in command, which is a huge honor, and it shows that he trusts you and values you.”

Skye thought back to her conversation with him about him valuing old stuff, valuing her, and the way he had looked at her…

“Skye, it’s okay to have a crush on him. I mean, I admit I did at one point.” Simmons said, and Skye stared at her like she was speaking in a different language.

“I… I don’t – ”

“All the signs of a natural little crush, Skye, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Don’t worry about it. It will pass once the newness of your changed relationship passes.” Simmons assured her, giving her hands a squeeze.

“Right. Sure.” Skye said absentmindedly. “You had a crush on AC?” Skye suddenly sounded interested, teasing, and Simmons pulled her hands away and scoffed, standing up and returning to where she had been working. Skye stood as well, gathering a pile of files and putting them in a drawer.

“It was a long time ago. I was a newer agent, and he was… well, he was _Agent Coulson_.” Simmons said, as if that explained everything. She spoke in that tone of voice that told Skye he may have been her _first_ crush.

“You say that as if he were James Bond or something,” Skye said with a grin, and Simmons raised her eyebrows toward the hacker.

“Remind me to show you a picture I have of him in a tuxedo.” Simmons said conspiratorially, and Skye felt something jump in her chest.

“Done.” Skye said with a swallow, her throat a little tight. Simmons hid her grin behind a folder.

\-----

“Skye,” Coulson sounded perturbed when she entered his office one morning.

“What’s up, AC?” She said cheerily, and he inwardly sighed. She wasn’t making it any easier for him, but of course, how would she know better?

“Do you have anything… _other_ than dresses in your wardrobe?” He asked, trying to keep his tone neutral. She raised her eyebrow at him, standing there with her hand on her hip, looking down at him sitting behind his desk.

“Do you have anything other than suits?” She returned, and he had to give her that one.

“Touché.” She was still giving him that look, though, so he continued, “I just mean… they aren’t very _practical_ ,” He said lamely. This wasn’t coming out how he wanted it to.

“They’re very practical in certain situations.” She pointed out, and he closed his eyes, inwardly taking a breath.

_Too practical in these situations._

“I want to know if we should get you some tactical gear. Something you can work in.”

“I’ve been working fine in these for the past couple of months.”

_Very fine,_ he thought.

“Work in as in during a mission,” He ground out. He still hadn’t looked at her during this whole conversation, and she was rather amused by his actions.

_Oh, it makes him uncomfortable. Well… okay._ A part of her wanted to do a dance upon this realization, but another part of her didn’t want to be the cause of his discomfort. Yeah, maybe she had a little crush on him, but she didn’t want to push him.

“I’ll talk to May about it. I’ve only got one or two things, really.” Skye finally said, letting him off the hook, and he looked visibly relieved.

_But you’re stuck with me and this dress for today,_ Skye thought with a small smirk, and she flounced into her chair, propping her bare heels up on the very corner of his desk, crossing her ankles.

This wasn’t the first time she’d propped her feet up on his desk, but this was the first time she’d done it while in a dress. The edge of it slipped up just above her knee, but she made sure it strayed no further by placing her tablet in her lap.

Coulson stared at her bare feet, wondering when she had slipped her shoes off. Wondering where she’d gotten the gall to lounge around his office as if she owned the place. Wondering why he let her.

He wanted to reach out and touch her ankles.

_And maybe her calf. The back of her knee. Her thigh…_ Jerking his thoughts and his eyes from their trailing path, he dropped his head down to look at his desk, his chin low enough that he couldn’t see her out of his peripheral vision.

\-----

About two weeks later, May caught up with Coulson in the hall before he disappeared after breakfast.

“Coulson.” May’s voice stopped him, and he sighed inwardly. She had that ‘we need to talk’ tone.

“Yes, May?” He turned around, shoving his hands into his pockets. She stepped closer to him so that their conversation was a little more private.

“Fitz will be arriving at the end of the week.” She told him, as if he didn’t know.

“I know that.” He said, wondering what her point was.

“Once he gets here, you _need_ to spend more time with the team.” She advised him, and he frowned very slightly.

“I _have_ been – ”

“You’ve been spending time with Skye, and _she_ lets us know how you’re doing.” May interrupted him, and he closed his mouth, perturbed.

“Any one of you could come into my office at any time and speak to me – ”

“Don’t be an ass, Coulson,” May said, glaring at him, and he narrowed his eyes. “The least you could do is join us on game night. Once a week. _Force_ yourself to enjoy the presence of your team, _once_ a week. That’s all I’m asking.” May wasn’t asking, though. Not with that steely look in her eyes.

“I don’t have to _force_ myself to – Melinda, I haven’t _forgotten_ about you guys!” Coulson argued, and she scoffed.

“Could have fooled me.” She muttered.

“That’s not fair.” He said darkly, and she sighed, giving him her no-nonsense look.

“I understand what Fury has done, making you Director. He’s just dropped a ton of shit on your shoulders. But Phil, you don’t have to bear that _alone_. We are your _team_. _All_ of us,” She added, “not just Skye.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Coulson asked, defensive, and May shook her head, laughing dryly.

“You’re an old fool, Phil, if you can’t see her fawning – ”

“She’s trying to help me out. She _is_ helping me, in the exact same way that you’re offering the rest of the team to do.” Coulson interjected, and May smirked at him, folding her arms across her chest.

“She’s stopped wearing her dresses. I wonder why that is.” May changed tactics, and Coulson narrowed his eyes. “Perhaps she was under orders not to be so _distracting_ – ”

“May, please.” Coulson said, speaking a little softer. May’s eyes softened as well, but her tone didn’t.

“If you aren’t going to admit it yourself, then stop leading the poor woman on.” May advised him, turning to walk away. “And start spending time with your team again!” She called over her shoulder. He stood where he was, hands still in his pockets. He leaned back against the wall heavily, sliding down to sit against it.

That was how Skye found him, as she left the kitchen and headed down the hall toward his office.

“AC! Everything alright?” She asked, upbeat but concerned. He looked weary, and he stood slowly, continuing to lean against the wall.

“Breakfast was delicious this morning. Thank you,” He told her sincerely, and her entire face lit up with her grin.

“Thanks AC,” She said, and reached out to touch his elbow for no more than a second. “I didn’t give you food poisoning, did I?” She joked, and his quick smile did not reach his eyes.

“I’ve not been very good toward the rest of them, have I?” Coulson asked quietly, not quite looking at her. She frowned, reaching her hand out to his arm again, squeezing gently.

“They love you, sir.” She said sincerely, and he looked up at her, his eyes heavy with sadness.

“I didn’t even know you guys had a game night,” He shrugged lamely, and Skye gave him a sad smile and tugged gently on his sleeve before moving her hand away from him again.

“Join us next time.” She said, as if it were no big deal. He blinked at her slowly, seeing how much she wanted him to stop being sad.

_You are an old fool, aren’t you, Phil._

“I’d like to cut our meetings down to just the evening.” Coulson said with a heavy sigh, standing up straight and smoothing down his tie. Skye frowned, taking a step away from him to give him some space. “I believe at this point that your time is much better spent elsewhere. I’ve been hiding away long enough myself; there’s no need for me to have you hiding away as well.”

“I’m not hiding away – ”

“I’d like you to get started on our security software, so we can start digitizing all those files.” He continued as if she hadn’t spoken, and she blinked.

“Really?” She was itching to get her hands on a real computer and real programming. Coulson smiled at her excitement.

“Agent Koenig informed me that some equipment has just come in that should be of use to you. In the computer lab,” He gestured down the hall in the opposite direction. Skye grinned and took another step away, still somewhat hesitant however.

“You sure?” She asked softly, and he nodded, smile firmly in place.

“I want an update this evening to see if you’re missing anything necessary.” He told her, turning and striding off toward his office.

Skye frowned for a moment at his retreating back, but then she grinned and turned, hurrying down the hall toward her new project.

_Best keep her away a bit. Give myself time to get this...infatuation out of my head._ Coulson thought as he headed toward his office. _It's not fair to her. I've been keeping her away from everyone else for no other reason than my own enjoyment of her company._

"There's too much work to be done to be wasting anyone's time." He told himself wryly, shutting his office door firmly behind him.

* * *

 


	4. Chapter 4

* * *

 

Programming software was _nothing_ like hacking. Even with the slight plus that it was security software, and that she could test it against her own skills, it was still one of the most boring jobs she could think of.

Second to organizing paper files.

“Ngh.” She groaned, dropping her head onto the edge of the desk.

“That bad, huh?”

Skye jumped at Coulson’s voice, spinning around in her chair to glare at the doorway.

“Could you at least stomp around or something to announce your presence?” She huffed, slightly embarrassed. He grinned.

“Secret agent, remember?” He said, taking a step into the room – she refused to refer to this place as _her_ office – and he casually leaned against the wall, folding his arms across his chest. “May told me that you were particularly restless during Tai Chi this morning.”

“She’s always yelling at me to sit still during Tai Chi. It’s a learning process, okay?” Skye relaxed back into the chair, clasping her fingers together. Coulson raised his eyebrow slightly, amused. “I’m guessing you’re not here to discuss the proper techniques of Tai Chi with Agent May. What’s up, AC?”

“I was going to ask how it’s coming along, but I think I got my answer the moment I walked in here,” Coulson said, mirth in his eyes, and Skye made a face at him, which only caused his grin to widen.

“It’s going _fine_ , _Director_. It’s just…” Skye stopped, glancing back toward the computer. She didn’t really want to complain. It needed done, and who better to do it than her?

“Not enough action for ya?” Coulson teased, and she tried not to think of _him_ and _action_ in the same context. She shrugged, giving him an apologetic look, and he waved it away.

“Have you tried the shooting range? It – ”

“Why is everyone insisting I go to the shooting range? I’m not _that_ bad of a shot,” Skye interrupted with a mutter, uncomfortable.

“It’s good to stay familiar with it, Skye,” Coulson said softly. “It has been a few weeks since our last op, and you never know when something might come up where you’ll need that skill.” Skye sighed, knowing he was right, but hesitant to tell him her ridiculous fears. He looked at her closely, a concerned look crossing his features.

“AC… Please don’t tell the others about this, but…” She wondered how to put it into words. “I… Can’t.”

“Can’t what?” He asked gently, taking a step toward her and giving her his full attention. She frowned as she struggled just to say it.

“I can’t even… _hold_ a gun without… freezing up.” She finally said, looking down at her clasped hands. “I haven’t… it’s actually been a _while_ since I’ve fired one. The last time was… when Ward kidnapped me,” She whispered.

“You were armed when we invaded Cybertek. I made sure of it.” Coulson frowned, not happy that she could have been harmed that much easier, and he hadn’t even been aware of it. And how many ops have they done since arriving at the Playground? Months of her dealing with this problem, and he hadn’t noticed a single thing?

“Yeah,” Skye admitted, “I had a gun on me. But I never even turned the safety off… I couldn’t bring myself to fire it.” She kept her eyes down, biting her lip. Ashamed. “Some SHIELD agent, huh?” She whispered. “I was never meant to be an agent; who am I kidding?”

Coulson closed the space between them quickly and crouched down in front of her chair, grasping her hands in his and forcing her to look at him.

“Don’t you think that. Don’t you dare think that,” He ordered, giving her a stern look. “Else you think I’ve made some sort of mistake?” He challenged her, and she furrowed her brow, shaking her head.

“No, Coulson, I didn’t mean anything against you – ”

“It was _my_ decision to keep you on the Bus. _My_ decision to make you a part of the team. _My_ decision to make you an agent of SHIELD.” His eyes softened a little and he added, “ _My_ decision to make you my second in command.” She bit her lip again, staring into his eyes with her own watery ones. “I chose you for a reason. You are valued, Skye. You remember that?” He asked, and she nodded, smiling a little at the memory. His grip on her hands softened, but he didn’t let go completely. “You are not the first person to get a little wary of a gun, Skye. You were shot…” He swallowed. “You almost died. People have had panic attacks for less.”

“You _did_ die.” She pointed out, glancing down at his chest before looking back into his eyes. “I don’t see you scared of getting into a scrap with anyone.” Coulson laughed dryly, giving her hands a squeeze.

“I had some R&R in Tahiti, remember?” He said, and she winced.

“Right.”

He stood, and gently tugged to pull her up as well.

“Come with me,” He wasn’t ordering her to, but he didn’t let go of her hand. She followed willingly, glancing back at the computer only for a moment. “That can wait,” He told her, leading her out into the hall.

“Where are we going?” She asked, grasping his hand in return when she realized he wasn’t going to let go.

“I want to help you,” Coulson said, and then paused momentarily. “Will you let me?” He asked her, looking her carefully in the eye. She gauged him in silence for an instant, and then nodded.

“Yes,” She said, though she was still nervous. He nodded and gave her a small smile before continuing down the hall.

\-----

There was no one else in the room when they entered, and Coulson led the way toward the furthest target from the door. She stopped before nearing the counter, and he let her, stepping up to it and pulling his own pistol from the holster on his hip. He took his time examining it, making sure the clip was full, pulling back the slide to put a round in the chamber, and checking that the safety was on. He set it down on the counter and turned back toward Skye, who was biting her lip while she watched him. He held his hand out toward her.

“I won’t make you fire it,” He promised her, “Not just yet.” She took his hand and stepped forward into the box with him. “I want you to stand with me while I fire it. Okay?” He picked up the ear protection and put it over her head, brushing her hair back behind her ear as he did so.

Skye tried not to read into his careful movements or the compassionate look on his face. _He’s just my CO. Worried about me. Trying not to scare me off. That’s all._

“I know it’s not going to jump out and bite me, I just – ”

“Skye, please.” Coulson gave her a look, but still spoke in that careful tone. “Just let me take this slow with you, okay?”

_Is he only talking about the gun?_ She vaguely wondered as she looked into his eyes. His very blue eyes, which looked even more blue compared to the soft grey suit he was wearing – _focus, Skye! You’re relearning how to shoot a gun, here!_

She nodded after realizing he was waiting on her to respond, and he looked pleased, and turned back toward the target. He picked up the Smith & Wesson and held it in both hands, glancing at her over his shoulder. She nodded again and stepped closer to him, just behind his shoulder. Close enough to feel his body heat, but not quite touching.

He flicked the safety off, checked the sights, and squeezed the trigger.

He glanced back at her again and she raised her eyebrows at him, pulling the ear protection down around her neck.

“What, did you except me to scream or something?” She asked cheekily, and he rolled his eyes.

“Alright, smart-ass, stand with me and hold it this time.” He said, and she swallowed, her eyes drawn to the gun again. He hadn’t dropped his stance, and gestured with his chin.

She was beginning to get more worried about the proximity of their bodies and less worried about the weapon in his hands. She carefully stepped even closer to him, her torso pressing against the right half of his back and his shoulder, and widened her stance.

“One hand on my left shoulder, the other over my right hand,” He instructed even as she lifted her right hand to do so. “Gently, remember. I’m in control. You don’t have to worry about anything at the moment.” He reminded her, and she nodded, keeping her eyes straight ahead.

_He smells seriously good. And he_ feels _seriously good –_

_Focus!_

“Ready?” He asked, and she nodded again before she lost her resolve and bolted out of the room for reasons entirely different than her sudden fear of guns.

This time when he fired she flinched slightly, but she didn’t pull away. He waited a breath, then fired again. The third shot she was still, and he lowered his hand, turning his head to look at her. She pulled her hands away from him and stepped back quickly before their faces became too close, and shrugged, rocking up onto her toes.

“Not so bad.” She said, and he gave her a small grin, putting the safety on and setting the gun on the counter.

“Your turn.” He said, and she blinked before rolling her shoulders and stepping toward the counter. He stepped to the side to allow her the primary spot, but he stood just at her shoulder, affectively switching their previous position. She took a deep breath and picked up the Smith & Wesson before she lost her resolve.

“It’s dumb, really,” She said, looking down at the pistol in her hands. It didn’t feel scary; in fact, the weight felt familiar to her, almost comforting in a way. Which was weird, because it wasn’t like she’d been such a gun-person before. “I just keep thinking about Quinn shooting me.”

Coulson was silent for a long moment, and just when she was about to turn and look at him, he stepped against her and covered the hand that was holding the gun in his own.

“Would you like to know what helps me?” He asked quietly, his voice very close to her ear. She nodded, keeping her gaze forward. With his left hand, he reached around her to point toward the target. “I just keep thinking that I’m shooting Ian Quinn.”

Something inside of Skye sort of fell apart at that, and not in a bad way. With a waver in her smile, she squared her stance and lifted the gun, holding it just as he had. It felt familiar, comfortable, and with his right arm over hers and his left on her shoulder, she felt grounded and protected.

“The safety is at the top,” He reminded her teasingly, and she pursed her lips, elbowing him slightly. He let out a breath of air and his hand slid down from her shoulder to her waist. She smirked and flicked the safety off, adjusting her weight. His hand stayed warm and firm on her waist. She focused on that as she aimed and fired.

\-----

May passed Trip in the hall, noticing that he was carrying his gun case. She caught his elbow and stopped him.

“Coulson is in there with Skye,” May said, and Trip raised his eyebrow.

“Cool. I haven’t shot with Coulson in a while; it would be fun.” Trip shrugged, and May shook her head.

“Give them a half hour or so, okay?” She said, waited for his confirmation, and then walked away. He watched her go with a raised eyebrow. Glancing toward the range and back to her retreating back, curiosity got the better of him and he quietly approached the door. He could hear sporadic shots; someone was shooting but they weren’t in a hurry to do so. He cracked open the door and peered through, seeing that two of the three aisles were unoccupied. His eyebrow raised again, even higher, as he observed the two of them in the aisle furthest away.

Skye was standing with a pistol in her hands, aiming toward the target, a look of determination on her face. Trip would have admired the way she looked, except that Coulson was practically glued to her; his body mirroring over hers. She fired again, there was a moment, and she lowered her arms, setting the gun down on the counter. She turned partially toward Coulson, as much as she could since he hadn’t moved away yet, and –

_Did she just do what I think she did?_ Trip blinked, staring, his own interest in shooting completely forgotten. She’d kissed Coulson on the cheek, and they smiled at one another. That was when Trip noticed Coulson’s hand resting rather comfortably on Skye’s hip, and he decided that maybe he would heed May’s request after all.

He was careful to be completely silent when he shut the door behind him and walked back toward his quarters.

\-----

“Thanks, AC,” Skye said softly after she kissed his cheek, giving him a genuine smile. He blinked at her in surprise, his returning smile slow but pleased. They stared at one another for a few moments before he realized that his hand was still on her waist, and he quickly pulled it away.

Skye turned toward the switch to move the target closer to them, hiding her blush. Coulson stepped toward his gun and made sure the chamber was empty and the safety was on before holstering it.

“Hey,” He cleared his throat gently, pulling the target down from the clamps, “Not bad for your return,” He held it up toward her, and she shook her head.

“Ugh,” She groaned, “Be real, AC. Those kill shots are all yours.”

“They don’t always have to be kill shots, you know,” He reminded her softly, folding the target in half and tucking it under his arm. She shrugged and nodded in acquiescence.

“Seriously, though – thank you,” She told him, heartfelt, and he gave her a soft, fond smile.

“I’m happy to do this again, if you need me to.” He told her, and she bit her lip, looking off to the side and trying not to grin like an idiot.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” She said impishly, and he raised his eyebrow slightly. “I should, ah, go check on that computer… I’ll see you at lunch?” When he nodded in reply, she slipped out of the room.

He stared after her, wondering what all just happened. His cheek still tingled from where her lips touched his skin, and he reached up to brush his fingers across the area, as if he would still find her there.

He was glad that she wasn’t as fearful of guns as she thought she was; more than glad, really. But his mind was stuck on how it felt to have his arms around her, his hand on her waist. Selfishly, he hoped she would ask him to help her again.

When he got back to his office, he carefully folded the target into the correct size before slipping it into the filing cabinet in the corner. There wasn’t much in these files anymore, since he had ordered Skye to erase everything that existed on the team, but he wanted to build them back up again.

“Along with everything else I have to build back up again,” Coulson said to himself wryly, unlocking the safe behind his desk and pulling off his holster, securing the gun away for now. He would clean it after dinner. Maybe he would even do it while Skye was there; show her how to take it apart and clean it thoroughly… “Old fool, Phil. Old fool.” Coulson told himself, shaking his head and sitting down at his desk.

His subconscious was starting to sound more and more like May every day.

* * *

 


	5. Chapter 5

* * *

**You don’t get burned /** **(Cause nothing gets through) /** **It makes it easier /** **(Easier on you) /** **But that much more difficult for me /** **To make you see…**

 

“I can’t get into it,” Skye announced as she entered his office. He frowned as he looked up at her.

“Can’t get into what?” He asked.

“Our firewalls. I can get passed them, as an administrator – but I can’t hack my way in. They’re solid.” She assured him with a wide smile, throwing herself into ‘her’ recliner.

“Wonderful,” Coulson praised with a smile, and she looked pleased with herself.

“Now we can start contacting rogue agents and filtering the good guys from the bad guys!” Skye’s face was bright with excitement, and he admired her gusto, but he didn’t want to let her get too into this.

“Why don’t I get started on that. I’d like to contact some of the guys that I know – I’ll be able to get the truth from them.” Coulson suggested, and Skye slouched into her seat slightly.

“You think I can’t?” She asked, slightly teasing, and he shook his head.

“I’d like you to get started on something we can use to communicate with loyal SHIELD agents, something they can use in any available wifi location, but is still secure.”

“You know that’s not easy to do, right?” Skye told him, and he gave her a small smile.

“That’s why I’m asking you. I know you can do it.” He said encouragingly.

“I appreciate your beliefs in me, AC, but I feel like you just want me out of your hair.” Skye said petulantly.

“Maybe I do,” Coulson replied lightly, trying to make this humorous. Skye rolled her eyes and hopped back to her feet.

“Fine. But you can’t get rid of me for long!” Skye warned him, grinning at him. Coulson sighed and shook his head.

“You have your _own_ office, Skye,” He reminded her carefully, his teasing tone fading away.

“My own office doesn’t come with a Coulson.” Skye pointed out, folding her arms across her chest. Coulson raised his eyebrow.

“It doesn’t _need_ to.”

“I work better with you in the room,” Skye huffed quickly, not quite looking at him. He let out a breath and closed his eyes for a moment.

_Don’t go there, Phil. And don’t let her go there. It’s easier if you just keep that line solid._

“All those years of hacking?” He pointed out.

“I didn’t know that I could have you to bounce ideas off of. I’m even _better_ , now. C’mon, AC, I don’t want to be stuck in the dungeon all day every day.” Skye whined, giving him her ‘I’m not going to beg but I really sort of am’ face.

It was always hard for him to say no to that face.

“We’ll still meet in the evenings.” Coulson assured her, moving his chair back toward his desk to try and start ending the conversation.

“You’ll miss me,” Skye informed him knowingly, walking toward his door. He gave her a dubious look, and she nodded. “Just wait. Soon _you’ll_ be hanging out in _my_ office.”

He stared at his doorway for moments after she disappeared. Deep down, he knew that she was probably right, but it was better if he kept that line firmly in place. It was better for the both of them. He needed to work on building the strength of that line, and he needed to keep her out of his office as much as possible to do so. She may not like it – and to be honest, he didn’t really like it too much either – but in the end, she would appreciate it. It would be worth it, later. It would be safer.

\-----

“Hi, Skye! I’m studying the GH325 serum again and I was wondering if I could get a little bit of your blood to compare it to Director Coulson’s…” Simmons spoke as she entered Skye’s office. Skye turned around to give her a wide-eyed look.

“Well, good morning to you too, Simmons.” Skye replied, and Simmons looked a little ashamed, shifting the clipboard in her hands.

“You’re office is really cool,” She said quietly, looking around the room. Skye smiled at her to let her know she was off the hook.

“It is, isn’t it?” She glanced around. “It’s just missing something…” She trailed off, frowning slightly. Simmons could tell that Skye knew exactly what her office was missing, and apparently it had been a conversation with their Director that hadn’t gone her way.

“What are you working on?” Simmons wondered, hoping that it was something she could at least partially follow. Skye perked up again and turned back toward her array of computer screens, sliding her chair to the side a little so that Simmons could stand next to her.

“AC wants some sort of online chat system that he can use to keep in contact with our agents,” Skye explained, pulling up a browser window and typing in an address. The screen that popped up was very bare; still in the beginnings of her formatting. “Of course, it’s gotta be _completely_ solid, untraceable, and protected. Users will be invite-only, basically – once we prove without a doubt that people are loyal, we’ll send ‘em an access code. Once they log in, they are permanently attached and that code becomes inactive, so they can’t go sharing it with anyone else.”

“What if they’re connecting in a public area? Wouldn’t someone be able to look over their shoulder?” Simmons asked, and Skye raised her eyebrow up at her.

“Well, hopefully, they’ve been with SHIELD long enough by this point – and have survived Hydra long enough by this point – that they know better than to just sit with their screen wide open in the middle of a room.” Skye said pointedly, and Simmons nodded.

“Right. Of course.” She grinned lightly.

“I’m still working on it, of course. I’m dealing with the cosemtics last – but I’m thinking of keeping it fairly streamlined and simple. Easy to use, but still aesthetically pleasing, you know? I hate those social network sites that are all overloaded with useless crap that you don’t want to see, anyway – but I also want this to be a little more comfortable than a generic chat forum.”

“Have you built web pages like this before?” Simmons wondered, impressed.

“No,” Skye admitted, shaking her head. “But I learned how to build a website from a friend a couple years ago… as far as the communication aspect goes, there are lots of forums online that teach this stuff. The trick is, getting in without them tracking me.” Skye grinned. “And that’s where the hacking skills come in handy.” Simmons smiled at her, and took a step back from the desk.

“That’s going to be extremely useful, Skye. That’s amazing.” Simmons told her sincerely, and Skye shrugged a little and grinned wider.

“Thanks… So, you want to drain me dry? I can hang out in the lab for a bit now, if you’d like.” Skye stood, and Simmons nodded.

“If you wouldn’t mind. And I hardly need to drain you _dry_ ; I just need one or two vials for study purposes…” Simmons muttered, leading the way toward the lab. Skye followed along happily, glad to be spending some time outside of her office.

\-----

Three days, and here he was, meandering down the hallway toward her office. _Damn it._ He hated that she was right, but his feet kept moving anyway.

The first day had been a relief, and he’d managed to get quite a lot of work done without getting distracted in his thoughts of her. The second day, he had felt stress that he hadn’t known he’d built up fall away the moment she entered his office for their evening meeting. The third day, his office was uncomfortably quiet, and he found himself tapping his fingers or his feet with agitation. And now here he was, approaching her office door, with no reason at all prepared in his mind for why he was here.

“I’m just checking in,” He decided, trailing off when he realized that the room was empty. _Damn._ Now he _really_ felt like an idiot. And, a bit disappointed. He noticed her computer screens were still up, so she must not have left very long ago, and he approached them curiously. She had changed the setup of her office since the last time he’d been here, and along with her laptop, there were now three other monitors placed around it. Each screen had something different on it, and if he was honest, he had no idea what any of it meant. One of them looked like a web page, and he wondered if it was the communications forum they had discussed. He leaned closer to check it out, and smiled a little. He knew she was still working on it, but he thought it looked good already.

 _You think everything she does is the greatest thing on the planet._ May’s dry voice was in his head again, and he frowned and leaned away from the desk. His eyes caught a stray piece of notebook paper, and he read it before he could choose not to.

 

> _You don’t get burned_   
>  _(Cause nothing gets through)_   
>  _It makes it easier_   
>  _(Easier on you)_   
>  _But that much more difficult for me_   
>  _To make you see…_

He felt guilty.

He’d been pushing Skye away, afraid that his infatuation would go too far, and forsook their friendship in the process. He couldn’t keep doing that to her – clearly, although she hadn’t vocalized as much, him distancing himself so much has been hurting her. And of course, he should have realized that. He’d done this once before; when she saved him.

 _Skye, Skye, Skye…_ He’d almost crossed the line, that afternoon. He’d come _so close_. And that had scared him more than Raina’s machine ever did.

But they had moved past that, and they managed to grow even closer, even while keeping firmly behind that line he had created.

“AC,” Skye said warmly, surprised, and Coulson turned around quickly, hoping he didn’t look guilty.

“Skye,” He said, sounding more relieved than he had meant. Her eyebrow quirked ever so slightly, but she didn’t call him out. Instead, she approached her desk silently, slipping past him to fiddle with some things on her desk. He noticed her attempt to surreptitiously slide that piece of paper underneath a stack, and he pretended not to notice.

“Miss me already?” Skye quipped, standing straight again to look at him.

“I – ”

“We should have bet on it,” Skye mused, shrugging and shoving her hands into her pockets.

“I’m sorry, Skye,” Coulson said sincerely, looking her directly in the eye. Something flashed in hers, but she quickly covered it.

“For what?” She wondered. “I’m actually enjoying this job. I’m learning a lot of new things.”

“I’m sorry for pushing you away. I’ve been doing it for weeks.” He continued, and her eyebrow raised slightly again.

“Oh, you’ve noticed?” She said lightly, not quite looking at him.

“I was afraid,” He admitted, looking at her carefully. She looked back at him, definitely surprised now.

“Of what?” She asked incredulously.

“Of,” He took a breath, “My… feelings for you.” He admitted carefully. Skye blinked, a neutral look on her face. A stab of fear went through him, but he’d already leaned forward, and he might as well take that first step over, “I – ”

Turned out, Skye was more than happy to drag him completely over that line, both figuratively and literally. She grabbed the lapels of his jacket and yanked him toward her, stepping against him and pressing her body against his as she wrapped her arms around his neck. The last time she’d hugged him this hard, he had just rescued her from Ward’s kidnapping ordeal.

He had just barely managed to get his arms around her when she pulled away just as suddenly, something like fear in her eyes.

“Oh my god, I really hope you don’t mean, like, _fatherly_ feelings, because – _jeez_ that would be awkward.” She stared at him with wide eyes, and he looked at her incredulously.

“ _Skye_ ,” He admonished, and then she was pressed against him again, and he held her back just as tightly.

“Thank God,” She breathed against his ear, “I’d hoped not, but I wasn’t _sure_ …”

“Skye,” Coulson said softer, shaking his head. Without having to look her in the eyes, it was a little easier to talk. “This isn’t right of me. There are rules against this sort of thing, and here I am as _the Director_ , breaking those rules.” He felt Skye’s fingers press against the back of his neck.

“That was old SHIELD, Coulson. New SHIELD… we _need_ things to fight for. Why not love?” She said softly. He pulled away a little, to look her in the eyes.

“Love,” He said, and she nodded, grasping his hands firmly.

“Love isn’t always fair,” She said, adding with assurance, “But we can make it work.”

“What will the team think?” He wondered, lifting his hand to touch his fingers against her hair.

“Who cares?” She replied, wrapping her arms around his waist and stepping closer once more.

“Love,” He said again, and she smiled a little.

“Are you trying to tell me something?” She replied lightly, and he pressed his palms against either side of her face and leaned in and –

Kissing Skye was going to be his new favorite thing to do, he just knew it.

 

> _Love_   
>  _Ain’t fair._   
>  _So there,_   
>  _You are,_   
>  _My Love._

* * *

 


End file.
